


Claudia's Contest

by FonzFan82



Category: All In the Family - Fandom, Baby-Sitters Club - Ann M. Martin
Genre: Contest, Crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2018-11-17 08:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 10,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11271849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FonzFan82/pseuds/FonzFan82
Summary: Claudia finds an ad in a magazine for another contest. This time she and her friends aren't meeting with Richie and his. The girls would be hanging out with new people. Who will they be and what will go on with this contest? Find out!





	1. Chapter 1

Claudia was in her bedroom that Wednesday morning. She was looking in a magazine and saw an ad that caught her attention. She thought she’d keep it for now and show her friends when they got together.

The advertisement said something about another contest coming up. Claudia remembered the last one she and her friends had with Happy Days.

Claudia heard someone knock on her door. The door was shut, so she got up from her bed and see who was there.

She found Stacey standing in front of her.

“Hi, Stacey. Come on in,” Claudia greeted her.

“Thanks. I hope you don’t mind me coming over early.”

“Of course I don’t mind. You’re welcome to come anytime,” she told her.

“Okay. You sure seem to be interested in something.”

“You bet I am. I want to show the girls so they can see also.”

Stacey walked in and shut the door behind her. She joined Claudia on her bed right where she’d left the magazine.

“What’s this magazine doing here? I don’t think I’ve seen this one before.”

“Neither have I. It interested me, so I picked it up.”

“It does look like an interesting one to me. What are you looking for in there, anyway?” Stacey asked.

“Nothing really. Just browsing around.”

Claudia said it like she was interested, Stacey told herself.

Now Stacey saw the page her friend was interested in.

“You’re interested in this ad?” Stacey asked, looking on the left side of the page.

“No, no. The right one.”

Stacey finally saw for herself.

“Another contest? I remember we met Richie and his friends in Milwaukee.”

“That’s what this ad reminded me of, Stacey. This one is interesting.”

A few minutes later, they both heard a knock. Stacey answered it this time.

It was their other friends. Claudia saw them too.

“You girls are early,” Claudia told them.

“We only wanted to hang out, so that’s why we came over.”

“I’m happy you did come over, Kristy. I found something that I want to share with you. I haven’t said much about it to Stacey here.”

“What is it?” Mallory asked.

Mary Anne joined Stacey and Claudia on the bed where Claudia kept the magazine.

“What’s this magazine doing here?” Mary Anne asked.

“Just flipping through,” Claudia answered.

Another contest? We just did that with Happy Days not too long ago.”

The others nodded. Even they remembered that also.

This time it was a contest to meet Archie Bunker and his family, but mostly him and his wife, Edith. 

“Who are Archie and Edith Bunker?” Jessi asked as the other girls got closer to see for themselves.

“A television show. This should be interesting to enter this one. I haven’t done anything yet. This is why I wanted to share with you girls all at once.”

The others looked at each other.

“Should we go ahead and enter?” Dawn asked.

“I like that idea, Dawn.”

“Thanks, Mary Anne. I would vote to enter this one. Is this another sweepstakes like Richie and his friends were?” Dawn asked.

“Take a look at the date. We should enter our names in. It wouldn’t hurt to check this group out. No sweepstakes on this one,” Claudia replied.

A few hours later, the meeting began. The phone was pretty quiet this time. It gave Claudia and her friends enough time without being disturbed from the calls.

Claudia filled the information and then tore it out of the magazine. She had to do it for this one since she found it in the first place.

“Would you like to mail this on your way home, Jessi?”

“Sure, I’ll be glad to do it for you, Claudia,” she said as she took the envelope from Claudia.

“Thanks. Be glad to do it anytime.”

The magazine ad that she filled in was telling them that it was only to have a weekend with the Bunkers.

“I’ll let you know when I hear back.”

“This should be a fun one. What else did it say? I didn’t get to read the whole thing.”

“Sorry, Kristy.”

“That’s all right, Claudia. Just tell me the rest of the story.”

“It only said about the winner staying in their house for the weekend. This might be a long wait if it meant we’re the winners.”

The meeting flew by fast without a single call. Kristy dismissed them five minutes early.

“See you tomorrow,” Claudia said as her friends walked out.

“Want the door shut?” Mary Anne asked.

“No, it’s fine the way it is, but thanks for asking.”

That’s when she heard her friends walk out of the house. It was now time to make dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

Archie Bunker was having dinner with his family that evening. He wanted to share some news. They knew nothing about Claudia and her friends stay at his house for the weekend since it was part of the contest. 

“There’s something I would like to share,” Archie spoke up.

He sat between Edith and Gloria that evening. Mike, also known as the Meathead, was there also. He sat on the other side of Edith.

“What do you have to say this time, Archie?”

“Well, Meathead, remember there was a contest we all heard about?”

Neither of them shook their heads no.

“Don’t tell me you recently volunteered to be part of the contest, Daddy.”

“I didn’t volunteer, little girl. The Jeffersons somehow talked me into be a part of it, so I did anyway.”

Flashback:

Archie was spending most of his time at George and Louise Jefferson’s place for a while. George was the first one to speak up.

“Archie, there’s something Louise and I want to share with you.”

“I don’t have all day, Jefferson. Is it something I might be interested in?”

“Louise and I seem to think so. Louise, why don’t you tell Archie about the contest we just signed up for?”

“You tell him, George. If you tell Archie, we’ll have him pass the news over to Edith.”

“That’s fine, Louise, but I still think you should tell Archie since you signed up for this silly contest.”

“It’s not silly, George. I’ll tell anyway.”

“Thank you.”

“What contest are you talking about, Jefferson? I didn’t hear anything out here being involved in a contest.”

“Archie, this contest hasn’t been here very long. This sounds like a fun one.”

George nodded his head, and Archie saw that.

“How many of these contests have you been involved in?”

“A lot, Archie. This is the latest we’ve known about.”

“Tell him the rest of the story, Louise.”

“This contest is about the contest winner or winners is that they spend some time with us for a whole weekend. Guess where they’re staying?”

Both George and Louise saw Archie was showing more interest in Claudia and her friends.

“Tell me where.”

“It’s your place, Archie. Louise and I put your names on the forum.”

“Jefferson, why didn’t you tell me about it before signing the papers? You have done this before.”

George laughed a little, but not too hard.

“Boy, aren’t you two going to get it. Does Edith know?”

George and Louise shook their heads.

“This is quite a surprise, but you still should’ve come to me before signing those papers.”

“We know, but we wanted to do something a little different. Right, Louise.”

Louise joined George into laughing. He stood up from the couch.

“I’m out of here. I’m not staying here long enough to watch you two laugh your heads off. Edith sure would be surprised.”

George and Louise continued laughing when Archie headed straight to the front door. Louise was laughing so hard that her tears were coming down. That’s when he slammed the door behind himself.

End Flashback

“So that’s the whole story. I don’t like it when people like the Jeffersons do such a thing without telling me first before something like this happens.”

“Archie, contests can be fun,” Mike told him.

Archie still isn’t happy about this one.

“I told the Jeffersons they are going to get it. Why would they put our name down when they actually aren’t the Bunkers?”

He was still angry that he didn’t know about it in the first place.

“They know better than that.”

“Archie, they just want you to be more active in those kind of event.”

“You don’t need to tell me that, Meathead. Those Jeffersons should’ve put down your name instead.”

“Did Louise and George say what sort of contest is it?”

Now his whole family showed interest like he did. They talked more about the contest, but Archie didn’t have the answers for his family.

“I’m leaving the table if that’s okay with you, Edith.”

“Of course it’s okay.”

He excused himself. It would be nice to get away form the talk about the contest.


	3. Chapter 3

Claudia and the rest of her friends kept wondering who Archie Bunker and his family are, but they would find out sooner or later.

“Claudia, are you sure you want to meet this Archie Bunker character?” Mallory asked.

“Of course I do, Mallory.”

“When does our weekend start?” Dawn asked.

“I think the magazine said in the following weekend. We’d better start thinking about packing up.”

Stacey McGill was another member of the Baby – sitters Club and Claudia’s best friend. No, Claudia’s parents don’t know about the Bunkers getting together with Claudia and her friends, and she’ll tell them tonight once her friends head back home. It was Janine’s turn to make supper tonight, but Claudia helped out her sister out by wiping and setting the table. Janine is the only sibling that Claudia has, so she doesn’t have anyone else. Janine was the first to speak up.

“How was your afternoon, Claudia?” asked her.

“Fine.”

“What are we having tonight?” Claudia asked her.

“Meatless spaghetti, carrots, peaches, broccoli,” was her answer.

Claudia had some candy with her friends during their meeting, even though Mr. and Mrs. Kishi don’t like her eating junk food.

“Did anything come in the mail today?”

Claudia was asking Janine that question because she was supposed to receive the directions to where she and the other girls would know how to meet Archie Bunker. Claudia might even meet the Bunkers’ friends, George and Louise Jefferson. That could be a surprise for the girls.

“Let’s see. We had the electricity bill, television bill, and of course, bill for the newspaper. Where you expecting anything?”

“Of course I am. Did you see anything with my name on anything?”

“Why do you ask that, Claudia? I’m not understanding why you even asked that question.”

“I’ll tell when Mom and Dad join us so I won’t have to repeat everything twice.”

Claudia was right because that’s when both their parents park in the garage.

“Hello, girls,” their mother greeted them.

“Hi, Mom,” they both said together.

“Thank you for starting dinner, honey. We’ll be down shortly,” Mr. Kishi said when he closed the laundry room door after himself.

“You’re welcome, Dad. Be glad to do it anytime,” she said once their parents were upstairs, it began to rain a few minutes later.

“Are we expecting any rain?” she asked.

“I didn’t hear anything about it, Claudia. I guess it came on its own.”

Claudia didn’t say anything, but she had to agree with her older sister. They said nothing else until Mr. and Mrs. Kishi joined them at the kitchen table. Claudia offered to help her older sister put the fruits and veggies on the table.

“How was your day today, girls?” Mrs. Kishi asked.

“It was good, Mom. There is something I’d like to share with you,” Claudia told her.

“What do you want to ask us?”

“Mom, Dad, I signed up for a contest,” she began.

“Is that why you asked about the mail earlier?”

“Exactly. I came across it in a magazine and thought I would give it a try, so I did.”

“What sort of contest is this, Claudia?”

“That’s what I’m going to tell you now, Dad.”

“Do you remember the name of the magazine that you discovered the contest in?” he asked.

“That’s not important for you to know. The contest involves a weekend stay with some guy and his family.”

“Tell us the guy’s name, Claudia. This is quite a story,” said Janine.

Both of their folks had to agree on this one.

“We’re waiting, honey. We don’t have all night.”

Claudia already knew that part, so she continued on.

“Do you know the name under Archie Bunker?”

It looked like they knew the name sounded familiar to them.

“We do, but he’s somebody we never met. We watched him on his television show known as All in the Family. It’s a silly contest to meet a few television characters in person,” her mother said to her.

“Maybe the contest could be a scandal. When does it start?”

“Next weekend, but I haven’t seen anything in the mail so my other friends could know where to meet them.”

“Why didn’t you come to us when you first knew about it in some silly contest?” their mother asked.

“I wasn’t sure it was the right time to tell you. Is it okay with you I can do this activity?” asked Claudia.

“We don’t like you doing this sort of thing without telling us first. Janine, did your sister say anything about this to you?”

“No, Mom, she didn’t. She only got this far by asking what was in today’s mail. I don’t know anything else,” Janine answered.

“That’s a secret from what you just told us about this contest, Claudia. We shall punish you without asking us first. Do the other girls’ parents know about this too?” Mr. Kishi asked.

“Yes, they do. Mallory’s younger brothers and sisters wanted to get involved with this latest contest she is doing with me, so they’re all disappointed they couldn’t come along, Both Mr. and Mrs. Pike thought they were young enough not to join in. Even they know who Archie Bunker is. They agree with you that this sounds like a scandal for sure. Mallory told us that at today’s meeting.”

“Did the other girls share with you also on what we told you about getting involved in such a silly contest?” he asked.

“Of course, Dad. It sounded to me that they let them have the fun for just the weekend. So that means you’re not letting me come along? I was the one who signed out the forum, so you have to let me do this,” Claudia begged.

“How much time do we need to think about it?” he asked.

“Before the weekend,” she answered.

“That means we better start right now.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll be praying about what your answer shall be.”

“There is no praying allowed in this house. We’re not religious people,” her mother replied.

“Sorry if I mentioned the word prayer. I swear I would never say that word anymore.”

“That’s good.”

They ate in silence for the rest of the meal without. Whatever her mother and father think, this better be a good one, Claudia told herself.


	4. Chapter 4

Archie received a letter in the mail from Claudia Kishi about the contest. His family were there when he had the letter delivered to his hands.

“Archie, mind if I ask you something?”

“What’s that, Meathead?”

“Who is Claudia Kishi?”

He looked surprised. Archie told himself when Mike asked that question.

“I thought I mentioned she was part of a magazine contest.”

“I don’t remember hearing you say that, but I do remember the Jeffersons signed you up for it.”

“I’m sure you probably know who she is.”

Mike shook his head and replied,” No.”

“Now you know. I’ll talk with you at dinner.”

“How do you think Edith and Gloria will react, even if it means just for a short visit?” Mike asked.

“I don’t know. I’ll come up with something.”

Then he head upstairs to his bedroom.

Edith and Gloria were in the kitchen while Mike and Archie were talking, but didn’t hear a word of it. Yes, they do know about the contest.

“I wonder what Daddy and Mike were talking about,” Gloria said.

Edith shook her head, but they had to agree on what Gloria just said. Dinner arrived within ten minutes. Archie was still upstairs, but had the door shut because he wanted to do some thinking about this contest thing. He’d planned on sharing Claudia’s letter at dinnertime. That’s when he would look at the letter Claudia sent for the first time. Good idea to save it until then, he told himself.

Ten minutes arrived and he was sitting with his family in the kitchen.

“Mike was telling me a little about the conversation you had about some contest that is coming up, Daddy,” Gloria told him.

“Yes, little girl. I received a letter back from the contestants.”

“Really? Have you looked at the letter yet, Archie?”

“Not yet, Edith. I was planning on doing it while we’re all together.”

“Why don’t you read the letter to us now?”

“I will, Meathead. I hope it’s not bad news.”

“Why do you say that for, Archie?” Mike asked.

The return address was sent to me from Claudia Kishi. She’s the one who is staying with us for the weekend.”

He opened the envelope so he could read the letter. The name Claudia Kishi didn’t mean anything to Archie and his family.

“Here’s what Mrs. Kishi says:

‘Hello, Archie and family.

I hope you all are doing well. I found out something about this weekend on this contest. I talked with a few friends of mine. She said she just found out that someone set up this contest with someone else pretending to be you while we get to meet you and your family. I don’t know how she found out, but she did.

I guess I should have figured this out before we signed up, telling you who it was who signed up for this silly contest and get involved with contests, but it’s too late to be part of this to change my mind. She already knows that about this contest when I told her.

She does like contests time to time, but she liked the idea of being involved in a silly weekend contest. She wants to know how many of you will spend with us for the weekend. If it’s more than five, your house has guest room. I’m sure my friends and can probably come up with a plan when we arrive. Will look forward to meeting you all. Please let us know about how many of you we will be expecting to meet. Hope to hear from you soon.

Claudia Kishi

“What do you think of this letter?” Archie asked them.

They didn’t answer right away, but Mike spoke up.

“I like what she wrote, Archie. At least she agreed with our friends to be involved in this latest contest.”

Archie nodded. So the others had to agree with what Mike had just said.

“How are you going to tell the Jeffersons about this plan?” Gloria asked.

“Meathead already asked that question. I’m just going to let them read it for themselves and see what they think of the contest, even if it means they signed up with my name without asking permission.”

“I hope we all can enjoy the weekend. Are you going to write back and tell her we are a family of four?” Edith asked.

“Of course I’m going to write her back. I still don’t like what the Jeffersons did to us about getting involved in a silly magazine contest.”

And that’s when dinner finally came to an end.


	5. Chapter 5

At the next meeting, the girls talked about their upcoming weekend with Archie Bunker.

“Have you heard back from this Archie character?” Dawn asked.

Claudia shook her head.

“No, I haven’t, Dawn. I think we all agreed to meet them at the airport.”

Kristy nodded her head.

“That sounds about right.”

“I talked more about this contest weekend with my mom and dad, Claudia.”

“What did they say, Jessi?” Mary Anne asked.

“They don’t want me to do this on my own yet. I did remind them I’m in middle school now,” Jessi told her friends.

“I told my parents the same thing, Claudia. They were looking for a baby – sitter for my brothers and sisters.”

“When do they need a baby – sitter?”

“Stacey, they said on Saturday. They were wondering who is available to look after them.”

“What did you tell them?” Claudia asked Mallory.

“I told them all of you will be going as well. I did mention Logan.”

“What about Logan has to do with your brothers and sisters, Mallory?”

“Mary Anne, he’s the only boy who is an associate member, remember?”

“Oh, that’s right. Thanks for the reminder, Mallory,” Mary Anne replied.

“Be glad to remind you in the future when something like this comes up. Will you talk to Logan about this for me, Mary Anne? He’s your boyfriend anyway.”

“I’m not going to talk about this with him, Mallory. You will since you brought it up.”

“What’s his number again?”

The girls watched as Mary Anne wrote his number on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

“Thanks, Mary Anne. I can call him myself instead of Mom and Dad. They don’t know him very well to talk with them. Wish you could help, Jessi, but you know how it is when it comes to baby – sitting at night.”

Jessi nodded.

“I never have forgotten that, Mal. I have to look after Squirt and Becca anyway. This is why I have to miss out on the weekend contest.”

“I think it’s a good idea to have Logan at your house and help you with your sisters and brothers, Mallory. I think your brothers will like him because he’s a guy also,” Mary Anne said.

The other girls agreed.

“Claudia, have you started packing yet?” Stacey asked.

“Not yet. I might do it tomorrow,” she answered.

“I already started doing that,” Dawn spoke up.

“Me too,” Mary Anne agreed.

So did Stacey.

“What about you, Kristy? Have you started?” Jessi asked.

“I’m going to do that tonight,” was her answer.

“I can’t tell you what to wear, Kristy, but I think you might want to leave your blue jeans that already have holes in them.”

“I’m not going to do that. You should know by now I’m not that dumb to do that. I’m also thinking of buying some new pairs when I have the chance.”

“Good idea. Maybe Stacey and I can help you decide what you like.”

“Thanks for the offer, Claudia, but this is something I can do on my own.”

That’s when the phone rang. It did that for a few more rings, and then it was done ringing for the day.

“The meeting is now adjourned,” Kristy said as the other girls did the same from where they were sitting.


	6. Chapter 6

“Archie, you can always change your mind about canceling this weekend about this Claudia girl and her friends. How many friends did she say she’s bringing along?” Mike asked.

“About five or six. I can’t cancel out on this silly contest because George and Louise got me into this mess, and I have to stay with it.”

That’s when Archie came up with an idea.

“I just thought of something.”

Yes, Edith and Gloria were with t hem to hear Archie’s idea.

“What is it, Daddy?”

“Little girl, we’re going to tell Claudia and her friends to go back where they came from and not spend a weekend with us.”

“Archie, you can’t do that,” Edith told him.

“I can send those girls to the Jeffersons since they got us involved.”

“Archie, no way are you going to do this. It isn’t going to work out. Those girls are staying, and that’s final.”

“Meathead, this idea might just even work. Let’s give my idea a try and see how it goes.”

“Do what you want, Daddy, but really won’t work.”

“If none of you are going to stay with me on this whole thing, you’ll be sorry you didn’t get to help me out on this one.”

“Archie, we’re going to do this another way. Both Louise and George agreed to help us out.”

“What did they agree on with you, Edith?”

“Since it’s going to be a big group of girls, we’re taking a few of them with us while the other half stays with them.”

“That’s a better idea, Ma. Let’s not agree with Archie on his idea,” Mike said.

“All of Claudia’s friends can stay with the Jeffersons for all I care. I have another idea.”

“What’s that, Daddy?”

Yes, Gloria was still listening to every word on this conversation.

“I’m going to write Claudia and her friends and tell them what we’ve just talked about.”

Mike laughed. When he finished, he said, “Since when do you write letters, Archie? That’s a new one.”

“So that’s what you’ve been doing and all of these letters from Claudia has been returning.”

“That’s exactly right, Edith. Can’t a guy have his own privacy without having his family involved?”

“You have a good point, Archie. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you write any letters.”

“This ain’t funny, Meathead. Almost anybody can write letters.”

“Why don’t you shows us to prove it that you do this sort of thing?”

“Meathead, I’m not going to do that. You need to watch what I do every day. You’re not my mother and father, so I’m not going to show you anything, Meathead.”

Archie had a good point, but ended this conversation so it won’t become an argument. All Archie did was walk away from this conversation and went to his office and locked the door behind himself.

He did what he told his family he was going to write Claudia back. So here’s what his letter had to say:

‘Hello, Claudia.

I hope you and your friends are all excited about spending the weekend with my family and me. I had a conversation that was more of an argument to agree on what we were going to do. Here’s what we talked about:

My wife and neighbors came up with the idea of having some of you would be at my house and the rest of you will stay with them. My house ain’t big enough to have all of you here. They were happy to do this.

Mt wife, Edith and my daughter, Gloria are very excited to meet you girls soon. Watch out, though. Gloria has a husband who’s very smart. You might like him, but I don’t. We’re all different.

These neighbors Edith and I have are under the name of Jefferson. When you and your friends arrive here, we’ll decide who will stay with who. Have a safe trip.

Archie


	7. Chapter 7

The letter – writing between Claudia and Archie stopped since it was almost time for the girls to travel. It was only a weekend stay, so it was short. Claudia and her friends were taking the plane. She was told that some guy named Mike Stivics would be meeting them at the airport, which was fine with them.

“How come you and Archie stop writing, Claudia?” Jessi asked.

“Because the weekend is almost here, Jessi,” answered Claudia.

Their other friends had to agree.

“Oh, yeah. Thanks for the reminder.”

The girls arrived at the airport around four – thirty that afternoon.

“Who is coming to pick us up again?” Mary Anne asked.

“I was told by the phone that someone by the name Mike was going to do this job,” Claudia answered again, but this time she was pushing her bangs out of her face.

She’ll take care of that when she and her friends return to Stoneybrook.

“Did you ever read in Archie’s letters about a guy named Mike?” Mary Anne asked.

Claudia shook her head.

“No. He didn’t mention anything.”

She’s been answering all of her friends’ questions because she was the one who found out what this weekend with the Bunker family. She and her friends met at the airport so they could fly together on the plane. Their plane tickets told them that they would be arriving sometime late evening. Yes, Claudia bought a couple of Nancy Drew books to read during the flight.

“Claudia, this is a wonderful idea to get away for the weekend. At least we get to travel by ourselves for the weekend without our families. What magazine did you see the ad?” Kristy asked.

She had one of her baseball hats on. Claudia answered her friend’s question.

“Did you have to show your mom and dad the letters and the ad?”

“Of course I showed them the ad. That way it’ll give them something to think about since it’s only for the weekend.”

“Mom and Mr. Spier want Mary Anne and I to call once we arrive to the airport before this Mike character shows up to pick us up.”

“I can do that, Dawn.”

“I don’t mind doing it either, Mary Anne. Let’s decide when we arrive to the airport.”

“Good idea, Dawn.”

Claudia read the rest of the flight to the airport while the rest of her friends talked. She was enjoying her mystery without being disturbed. She knew what time the plane was going to the airport when the captain had them all safely when he arrived at the airport.

“Claudia, we’re here!” Stacey exclaimed.

She was sitting next to Claudia, but was by the window.

Claudia didn’t seem to care either way. Claudia looked at her best friend.

“It feels like we’re still in Stoneybrook.”

“It does, but we’re not,” Mary Anne replied.

She was sitting by the window like Stacey did. They were sitting towards the end of the airplane since those were the last of the tickets that had available seats. They had to wait for a long time so the other passengers could get off first.

While they did that, all of the girls stretched for a few times so they would feel better. Claudia was only able to find five seats. Jessi and Mallory stayed behind in Stoneybrook because their folks wouldn’t let them be gone for the weekend. Claudia reread the letters between the ones she wrote and what Archie had told her what she and her friends could do.

“This is going to be exciting!” Mary Anne exclaimed.

Their turn finally came for them to thank the captain on their way out. At the moment, Claudia and her friends had their tote bags with them. No, they didn’t have their clothes and other things in their bags. They waited at the luggage claim where they made their telephone calls to let their parents know that they finally arrived and waiting for Mike to pick them up.

“Do we have any idea what this Mike character looks like?” Kristy asked.

“I have the letter that Mr. Bunker sent for description.”

Claudia handed it over to Kristy so she and the other girls could look at so they could get a good idea so they’ll know when he comes by the luggage claim. Claudia was the first of her friends to call her parents. They used nearby pay phones to do just that. When Claudia called, she told Archie to tell Mike she and her friends would be waiting by the luggage claim.

“I’ll tell him,” Archie told her.

“Thanks, Mr. Bunker.”

“Just call me Archie. My family and I are going to be your friends for this weekend. See you soon.”

He was the first one to end the conversation.

“He said this Mike character is going to be on his way,” she told her friends.

“If you didn’t find that ad in the magazine, Claudia, we’ll still be in Stoneybrook right now.”

“I know, Dawn. I thought by answering this ad, we’ll be doing something different this weekend, so here we are.”

“A lot better than baby – sitting,” Stacey agreed.

The other girls nodded as well. They kept on talking until their suitcases arrived. Kristy was the one who saw Mike was coming their way.

“Claudia, could this guy be Mike you just mentioned?” Kristy asked.

Claudia and their other friends turned around just in time to see him get closer to where they were waiting. Claudia looked at the man for a while. She had the picture in her hand.

“Yes.”

Mike finally got closer to Claudia and her friends.

“Which one of you is Claudia?” he asked.

“That’s me,” Claudia answered.

“My name is Mike. Archie has been showing us the letters between you two.”

“Okay. How many people can fit in your car?” Kristy asked.

“About five,” he answered.

“Sounds perfect, Mike. Archie did mention over the phone when I called that we’ll all be friends for the weekend.”

“That’s correct. We’ll think of you as family as well. I know it really doesn’t make sense that we’ll think of you all girls would be like that since we just met.”

He bent down to pick up Mary Anne and Stacey’s suitcases. Claudia did notice that Mike is pretty strong.

“Did you tell Logan you would be out of town for the weekend?” Dawn asked.

They followed Mike to his car. He wasn’t paying much attention to what they were talking about.

“Yes, I did. He wanted to go to a movie this weekend, so that’s when I told him. I did say that we could do it next weekend instead.”

“Was he disappointed, Mary Anne?”

“A little, but not too bad, Kristy.”

“Which is good.”

“Maybe he’ll hang out with the guys he plays sports with at school.”

“He might, but did tell me he’ll come up with something while I’m out for this weekend.”

“Don’t worry, Mary Anne. You can tell him all about this weekend when we get back.”

“That’s what I already have planned, Stacey.”

“Mike, I forgot to introduce my best friends,” Claudia told him as they all got in his car.

“I did notice that,” he replied.

“These are my friends, Kristy, Mary Anne, Dawn and Stacey.”

“It’s nice meeting all of you girls. I do have something I’d like to share about Archie.”

“What’s that?” Dawn asked.

She and her friends had seatbelts on. He told them.

“Thanks for telling us, Mike.”

“You’re welcome, Claudia. Are you girls in school too?”

“Yes. We’re in eighth grade,” she answered.

They talked the entire way to the Bunker house.

“Where do you live, Mike?” Dawn asked.

“Right here at Archie’s. He’s my father – in – law.”

“So that means you’re married then.”

“Exactly.”

When they parked in the driveway, Mike opened the trunk and helped them get their suitcases out.

“Thanks, Mike.”

“You’re welcome, Claudia. We’re taking you girls out tonight because my mother – in – law doesn’t know what you girls like to eat.”

That is the truth.

He opened the door open so they could go inside the house first. They thanked Mike.

“You’re welcome, Ma, I’m home!” he called.

Claudia and her friends watched as an elderly woman came into the living room to meet their guests.

“Hello, girls. We’re glad to have you here for the weekend.”

“We’ll be sure to have a lot of fun with you this weekend.”

“Don’t worry, girls. Of course you’ll all have fun. I’m sure you’ll tell your friends when you return.”

Like she did at the airport, Claudia introduced herself and her friends.

“I’m Archie’s wife, Edith.”

“Where’s Archie, Ma?”

“He’s going to meet us,” she answered.

“I’ll show them where their bedrooms are, Ma.”

“Louise and George offered to have a couple of you since they have a bit of room,” Edith told them.

“Thanks, Mrs. Bunker. When would you like to leave?” Stacey asked.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

“We should be ready in a few minutes. Let us unpack first.”

“Kristy, let’s wait until we return from dinner,” Dawn told her.

“That’s fine.”

“We’ll talk about it with George and Louise when we come back from dinner and we’ll go from there,” Mike told them.

Gloria was in town with Archie. When they came back to rejoin Edith and Mike, Stacey was the first one to speak up. Right away, the girls noticed on how sweet Edith was, and they liked her and Mike.

“Mrs. Bunker, there is something I need to share with you,” Stacey told her.

The other girls knew right away that she was going to say she’s a diabetic.

“Mrs. Bunker, I just want to warn you that I happen to be a diabetic.”

“Thank you for telling me, dear. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind for this weekend.”

“Good.”

They finally left the house. Edith had a car of her own, so she was going to follow Mike.


	8. Chapter 8

Before they left for supper that evening, George and Louise showed up so they could meet Claudia and her friends and decide who would stay with who, which made sense.

“Hello, George and Louise. Why don’t you come on in?”

“Thank you, Archie,” Louise said and walked in.

“So these must be the contest winners,” George greeted the girls.

“Yes, we are, Mr. Jefferson. I’m Claudia. I was the one who saw the advertisement.”

“Glad you could come, girls. Why did you want us here, Edith?” Louise asked.

“Well, Louise, we have all five girls over and we don’t have much room for all of them. Do you mind letting a couple of them stay at your place while they’re here for the weekend?”

“Be glad to, Edith. Is that why George and I are here?”

“Yes, Louise.”

“You can just call us George and Louise instead of Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson,” George told the girls.

“Now, who should take who, Daddy?”

Dawn was standing next to Gloria.

“You haven’t yet introduced you yourselves to us,” Louise told them.

“Claudia, Stacey, Mary Anne, Dawn and Kristy,” Mary Anne answered.

“Louise, one of these girls is a diabetic. That’s so sad. We can take you, Stacey.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Bunker.”

“Mind if I stay with Stacey, Mrs. Bunker?” Claudia asked.

“That’s just fine. Do you want to be with us as well, Dawn?”

“No, thanks, Claudia. I’m going to stay with the Jeffersons.”

“Lionel would like to meet you girls. George told him about it.”

“Who’s Lionel?” Stacey asked.

“He’s our son. You girls will make friends with him. He likes meeting new people. He’s friendly to strangers.”

“I’ll go with you, Dawn.”

“Okay, Kristy. Who knows, maybe he likes sports also.”

“I never really thought about it. He sounds interesting.”

Claudia and Stacey are boy – crazy, but they didn’t want to use the word ‘cute’ in front of a few of them. They’ll talk about it later, but now wasn’t the time to do so. The others agreed to go with Dawn and the Jeffersons.

“I told these girls we were going out to eat since we don’t know what they like, Ma.”

“We will do that. Do you girls want to unpack now or wait until later?”

“We’ll do it later, Mrs. Bunker,” Kristy answered.

“We’ll just take our suitcases with us, Claudia.”

“Okay. Let’s go out to eat now.”

“That’s a good idea.”

They did just that.


	9. Chapter 9

That night, Stacey and Claudia were talking. They were sharing the same room and decided to talk about these characters that they’d met earlier today. Claudia and Stacey were staying with Edith and Archie. They agreed it made sense to tell the Bunkers about her diabetes. Since they met the Bunkers before the Jeffersons, she and Claudia thought it was a good idea that they stay with the Bunkers since they were the first ones she told about the diabetes.

“What do you think of the weekend so far, Stacey?” Claudia asked.

They actually weren’t talking – they were whispering, so that way the Bunkers wouldn’t hear them talking.

“It’s interesting so far, Claudia. I’d like to see what these characters are like, even though it’s just for the weekend.”

“We’ll find out. I entered this because I wanted to see what these people were like. What did you think of the Jeffersons?”

“I’m not so sure yet, but right now I am thinking that they sound like nice people and neighbors to the Bunkers,” Stacey answered.

“I think I have to agree with you. That Mike character seems friendly. It was nice of him to pick us up at the airport.”

“That’s true. Maybe he might do that again tomorrow when it’s time for us to leave for Stoneybrook,” Stacey said.

“Maybe. I wonder if he has a job,” Claudia agreed.

“Who knows? That we will find out, Claudia.”

“That’s true. We don’t know much about these characters. Archie sure is different. I’m sure Mallory and Jessi are jealous that they couldn’t come along.”

“I’m sure they are. They will have to hear all about it when we get back. It’s nice to get away once in a while, even if it means your own parents.”

Claudia agreed.

“I’d like to do this more often, Stacey,” Claudia agreed.

“I’m sure you do. I’m going to New York City next weekend to be with my dad. It was supposed to be this weekend, but I didn’t want to miss out on meeting Archie and Edith.”

“Did you tell your dad about the contest?”

“I did. He sounded like he wasn’t familiar with the Bunkers. He told me he really didn’t follow their TV show back then when they were on air.”

“Oh. My mom and dad probably did, but I will have to ask them when we get back. They didn’t seem to crazy about me going away for a weekend contest,” Claudia replied.

“I remember you saying something about it, but it was still nice of them to let you do this,” Stacey said.

“I know. I told Mom and Dad that I would call them when we get to the airport early tomorrow afternoon.”

“Okay. Since it’s just the weekend, we can still spend one day with the Bunkers which will be tomorrow. I wonder how the others are doing at the Jeffersons.’ At least they were happy to take the other girls along for the weekend. I still wonder who this Lionel guy that they mentioned. Maybe we could meet him tomorrow if we’re lucky,” Stacey said.

“Maybe. If he’s colored like his mother and father, I don’t mind because of Jessi.”

“Right. They need to be treated equally also,” Stacey agreed.

 

Claudia agreed with her friend again. It made both of the girls curious if their other friends were talking about these characters as well, which they were. They’ll talk about this tomorrow when they get together with them sometime tomorrow morning for breakfast. Yes, Stacey did her blood sugar as usual. Her numbers were normal, which is a good sign.

Claudia and Stacey didn’t say anything for about fifteen minutes. Stacey was the first one to fall asleep sometime during their talk about the Bunkers and Jeffersons. Even Claudia was tired since they had a long flight to come over for the weekend.

“Stacey?” Claudia said.

This was before Claudia realized that her best friend was already asleep. That’s when she looked at Stacey. She was already asleep. Stacey didn’t say good – night during their conversation. Stacey sounded really tired during their conversation, but Claudia didn’t blame her for falling asleep. And she did the same thing herself about ten minutes later since she needed one more bathroom break. When she returned five minutes later, she immediately fall asleep as well. Then it would be fun time tomorrow when they wake up.


	10. Chapter 10

At Louise and George’s place, the girls were able to be shown around the house.

“You have a very nice house, Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson,” Mary Anne said.

“Why, thank you, Mary Anne. Would any of you girls want anything for a snack or a drink?” Louise asked.

“We’re good, thank you,” Kristy answered.

“If any you change your mind, let us know.”

“We will, Mrs. Jefferson.”

It was getting late. Everyone, including George and Louise agreed that now sounded like a good idea to turn in for the evening. Both Louise and George let Mary Anne and her friends go first since they were guests just for the weekend once they were shown where they would be sleeping, the girls got under the covers and began to talk about today.

“It was nice of Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson to let us stay here while we’re visiting,” Mary Anne said.

Her other friends agreed.

“I wonder if Stacey and Claudia talked about today yet,” Mary Anne said.

“I’m sure they already have,” Kristy told Mary Anne.

“We’ll get to see them sometime tomorrow. We can ask them then,” Dawn told her stepsister.

“Let’s try to sleep. Today was a long day,” Kristy said.

“Before we do go to sleep, Kristy, what do you think of the Bunkers and Jeffersons?”

“Dawn, Mr. Bunker seems to be an interesting character. We’ll get to know them over the weekend,” she answered.

They talked for a while longer and then fell asleep.

Line Break

Back at the Bunkers’s, Claudia seemed to have a little trouble falling asleep because she wasn’t in her own bed in Stoneybrook. Stacey hadn’t any trouble falling asleep.

It took her a while to do just that. Claudia wondered if her other friends were asleep yet or not. It was nice of their parents to let them spend a entire weekend on their own. Claudia wondered if her parents were still worried about her being on her own for the weekend. There wasn’t any need to get out of her bed to check what the time was.

She felt tired, but couldn’t sleep like her best friend did. Claudia wasn’t sure quite yet what she and her friends would be doing for the next two days, but they would decide on that tomorrow. It took her about an hour before Claudia was able to fall asleep. Before they left to meet the Bunkers and Jeffersons, she and her friends asked about what the weather would be like, which was supposed to be sunny and warm.

It was a good thing that Jessi and Mallory stayed in Stoneybrook. She and her friends noticed that the houses were too small for Mallory and Jessi to sleep with them. The reason that took Claudia an hour to fall asleep was because she had a lot on her mind, which was about this contest that she’d entered. This isn’t often she and her friends are involved in entering a contest such as this one.

Yes, the guest room where she was sharing with Stacey had the guest room door closed. That’s how she likes it back home in Stoneybrook. When her sister Janine was around, she liked having her door open. It isn’t often she and Janine have quality time with each other. She didn’t want to share with the Bunkers and Jeffersons about her parents and sister since it wasn’t necessary.

Before she finally was able to sleep, she decided it was a good idea to make a visit to the bathroom. It didn’t take her very long to find her way there since it wasn’t very farm from their bedroom. Claudia did her best to walk quietly as she could so she wouldn’t disturb anybody in the house. She was able to shut the door quietly as well. When she finished, found her way back, she was able to shut her eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

Mallory and Jessi had a sleepover while their other friends were spending the weekend with the Bunkers and Jeffersons.

“I wonder if the others miss being here with us this weekend. They’re probably having more fun than we are,” Jessi said.

“I’m sure they miss us. I hope they will tell us everything on Monday.”

Jessi and Mallory were having a sleepover at Jessi’s this time since Mallory had it last time. It’s always a good idea to go back and forth.

“Think they should be back tomorrow?”

“I would hope so, Mallory. School is on Monday anyway.”

Both of the friends hope they could spend a while with their friends when they return back tomorrow, which would be Sunday. They were having this sleepover because they got bored. It didn’t matter to them on what time it is. They agreed to play a card game to pass the time. It helped.

“What kind of game should we play, Jessi?”

Jessi looked around in her pile of games.

“How about Solitaire?”

“We can play that one. What are the other choices?” asked Mallory.

“Old Maid, Go Fish, UNO and Skip – Bo.”

“Why don’t we play all of them?”

Jessi liked the idea.

“I think we can do that. What do you think we should play first, Mallory?”

“How about if we start off with Solitaire?”

“I can go along with that. Do you want to shuffle or should I?”

“I’d be happy to,” Mallory answered as she took the deck from Jessi’s hands.

So Mallory decided to shuffle the cards three times so it would be a good hand for them.

“I’ll start since you shuffled,” Jessi told Mallory.

“It doesn’t matter either way, but I’ll go with that.”

Then she had an idea.

“I just thought of something, Jessi.”

“What’s that?”

“How about if I loose and you can deal?”

“That’s a good idea. It’s a nice change.”

Mallory agreed.

They ended up playing games and watched television until it was time for supper. They were in the middle of Go Fish when it was time to eat. Mallory and Jessi walked to the kitchen and helped themselves to milk.

“What have you been doing all day, girls?”

“Just playing cards and watching TV, Mom.”

Tonight’s meal was Chinese food. Neither Jessi and Mallory didn’t mind it. They aren’t picky eaters, which is a good thing.

“What game are you playing right now?”

“Mom, we’re in the middle of Go Fish right now. We need a new deck of cards since these cards are getting ready to fall apart.”

“We’ll look for a new deck when we go into town again. How does that sound?”

“That’s good with me. It’s always been a favorite,” Jessi said as Mallory nodded in agreement.

“You always loved it when you were younger.”

Jessi remembered.

“Where are the other girls?” Mr. Ramsey asked.

“Out – of – town for the weekend, Dad. Claudia somehow entered a contest for a weekend with Archie Bunker. I thought I told you that already.”

“I guess you probably did and I wasn’t paying that much of attention.”

“That’s okay, Dad. These things happen.”

They all enjoyed the Chinese food meal that her mother had ordered. So when they all finished everything that was in front of them, Mallory and Jessi thanked her mother. Now it was time to continue the game.

Now both girls got tired of watching movies on television. They headed back upstairs to Jessi’s bedroom. Jessi had the deck of Go Fish cards with her as she and Mallory returned to her bedroom.

“Aren’t you going to throw that deck away, Jessi? You could always buy that new deck when you get paid again,” Mallory told her.

“Looks like you read my mind there, Mal. I think I’ll hold onto these cards until then.”

They both got tired of the card games since they played them most of the day, so that was understandable. Mallory came up with an idea.

“I have an idea, Jessi.”

“What’s that?”

“We both like horses, right?”

“Yes. What does this have to do with that?”

“Since we’re both tired of games and movies, why don’t we mess around with our imagination? I could draw and you cane come up with any ideas on what the horses do.”

Jessi thought about it.

“That’s a good idea. Let’s do it. Do you want me to get the paper and markers?”

“Sure. I hope we’ll come up with something.”

Jessi left her room for a bit.

“What’s going on, Jessi?” he asked.

“Do you have any sketch paper? Mallory wants to draw for a while. We’re tired of card games,” Jessi told her father.

“I’ll go find the markers and paper for you,” he told her.

“Thanks, Dad.”

Mallory didn’t have to wait for a long time for Jessi to return, which was about five minutes later. Maybe Jessi found something, Mallory told herself. She heard Jessi’s footsteps getting closer. Her friend had left the bedroom door open. “Did you find something or not?” Mallory asked her.

“I did. We don’t have any sketching paper for our horses, but my dad did his best to help.”

“That was nice of him. We really don’t need sketching paper at this sleepover. I just wanted to do something different.”

“I know. What should our drawings do?” Jessi asked.

“How about two baby horses hanging out in the desert with chocolate bars with ninety degree weather?”

“I like that one. Horses and chocolate.”

So Mallory helped herself to a piece of paper and a brown marker. They both drew their horses for an hour or less. This was better than playing card games.


	12. Chapter 12

It was Sunday. This was only a short weekend with the Bunkers and Jeffersons. Claudia and her friends seemed to enjoy this short weekend. They would be flying back to Stoneybrook at lunchtime, so it gave them more time to spend with these characters.

“We probably should go ahead and call our parents to let them know we’re on our way home,” Stacey said.

Her friends agreed that was a good idea so that way they would know when to expect them. Stacey went first since she was the one who suggested it. Since her parents are divorced, Stacey made the call to her mother. Her father lives in New York. Not once did the girls think about Mallory and Jessi. It was their trip away from Mallory and Jessi.

“We better get started on packing, guys. Mrs. Bunker, would you mind taking us when we’re ready to leave?”

“We’ll be happy to, Kristy.”

“Ma, I’d be happy to do this again since I was the one who picked them up,” Mike offered.

“That’s a very good idea, Meathead. The rest of us will stay right here,” Archie said.

“Archie, don’t call me that in front of our guests. How would you like it if I did that to you?”

“I won’t care if you call me names, Meathead,” Archie said.

“Archie, don’t start be rude to the girls,” Edith agreed.

“Edith, this is my house and I can call him that. Id o it all the time, remember?”

“Yes.”

Claudia and her friends headed to their guest rooms. They just didn’t want to be involved in a family argument. They were still arguing when the girls began packing.

“Do you think they do this all the time?” Dawn asked.

“Who knows? They shouldn’t argue when they have strangers over for a short weekend,” Mary Anne said.

Claudia and Stacey decided to return to Louise and George, since they were staying there. Lionel, their son, answered the door to let them in.

“Thanks, Lionel,” Stacey told him.

“You’re very welcome. I forgot your names,” he told them.

“I’m Stacey, and this is Claudia.”

“You’re leaving today, right?”

“Right. You remembered, Lionel,” Claudia said.

“I was talking with Mom and Dad about transportation to the airport. We decided to go with you.”

“All three of you?”

“Yes, Stacey. Is there a problem about that?”

“No, Lionel. That’s fine. We’re actually thinking of packing right now.”

“All right. I’ll let you do that now. Is there anything that you’d like me to do for you?”

“I think we’re good. But I do need to test my blood sugar before we head over to the airport,” Stacey told Lionel.

“Okay. I’m sorry to hear that you’re a diabetic.”

“I’ve had it for a very long time, so it’s not your fault.”

“I know.”

Both girls headed upstairs and ran into George.

“Did you girls have a nice time with us?” George asked.

“Of course, Mr. Jefferson. Our friends are packing up now too. Lionel just told us that all three of you are driving us.”

“As a family, yes. We all decided to do that so all of us know you girls made it on the plane safely,” George told Claudia and Stacey.

“You’re very thoughtful, Mr. Jefferson. Archie and Mike got into an argument,” Claudia replied.

“They do that a lot.”

“That’s not fun. My parents are divorced, so I’m used to the arguments. I was telling Lionel that I would like to check my blood sugar.”

“That’s right. I almost forgot you were diabetic.”

“That’s okay. Did we treat you girls nice?” George asked.

Louise joined them and stood next to George.

“Have you called your parents?” Louise asked.

“Yes, we did that at Archie and Edith’s, but thank you for offering, Mrs. Jefferson,” Claudia said.

“We’ll see you girls whenever you’re ready.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Jefferson. We think there isn’t anything you need to do for us.”

George and Louise moved out of their way, which both girls appreciated. Claudia opened the bedroom door for Stacey.

“Thanks, Claudia.”

“You’re welcome, Stacey. They are really nice people, huh?”

“Yes, I like the Jeffersons. I’m not sure what to think about Archie and Edith, but Mike and Gloria are very friendly. Imagine what it would look like if you lived with them.”

Stacey had to agree.

“Let me use the bathroom. I’m only going to do that blood sugar test now so I won’t have to do it at the last minute.”

“Good idea.”

They all decided to tell Jessi and Mallory about this weekend at their next meeting tomorrow. Mallory and Jessi probably don’t think there was anything to share since it was only the weekend.

“I told Dad about this short weekend,” Stacey said when she returned.

“I’m sure he got jealous.”

“Actually, he wasn’t, Claudia. He wants to hear about it next weekend.”

“I’m sure it’ll make him feel left out.”

“I don’t know about that one, but he’ll tell me.”


	13. Chapter 13

Claudia and her friends made it back to Stoneybrook about two to three hours later. They talked about their short weekend and nothing else. That meant they had a good time. Mallory and Jessi probably felt left out because they weren’t able to find permission from their parents, so they had to stay behind and hang out.

All of their folks were able to pick them up, except for Claudia, so she got a ride with Stacey.

“How was the weekend?” Stacey’s mother asked.

“It was fun, Mom. We had a really great time,” Stacey answered.

“That’s good you enjoyed yourself. Does your father know about this?”

“Of course he does. He wants to hear all about it when I come out to New York.”

“I’m sure he’ll enjoy that,” her mother said.

“He will. Did I miss anything while I was away?”

“Nothing really. Just the usual. We did get rain on Friday night.”

“We need it anyway. Claud, do you want to stay with me for a while or do you want us to take you home?”

“You can take me home,” Claudia answered.

“I’m sure your mom and dad would like to hear about the Jeffersons and Bunkers,” Stacey told her.

“So do I. What did you think of that Lionel guy?”

“He was friendly, Claud. No wonder there wasn’t room for Mallory and Jessi to stay with us at both of the houses we were as guests.”

“I know. They’ll get to hear about it at the meeting tomorrow,” Claudia agreed.

Stacey’s mother was listening to the radio the entire way home. It was some sort of music station.

Mr. Kishi was home when Claudia was dropped off, so he opened the door for his daughter.

“Hi, honey. How was your trip?”

“It was a fun time, Dad. Thanks for letting me go on my own. I’ll be in high school soon,” she reminded him.

“I know, but your mother and I still think you’re a bit too young to travel on your own like this.”

He closed the door after Claudia walked into the living room.

“Stacey’s mother said that we didn’t miss anything while we were away.”

“She’s right. I’m sure you were able to make a few new friends while you were out there.”

“Yes, we did. We had to stay in two different houses because there weren’t enough guest rooms in either house. This is why Mallory and Jessi couldn’t come along.”

“I’m sure the houses were welcoming.”

“Yes, they were, Dad. Stacey and I stayed with one of the Bunkers’ neighbors. They are pretty nice too. I don’t think we’ll stay in contact, though,” Claudia told her father.

“It’s usually a good idea not to keep in contact with people you just met that are strangers to you.”

“I entered this contest because I wanted something fun to do.”

“I understand. When I was your age, my folks wouldn’t let me travel on my own except for field trips with my classmates, and that’s about as far as they let me.”

“You never told me that story. Maybe if I have children someday, I might tell them about the Baby – sitters Club. I’m sure they’d like to hear about what I did when I was their age.”

“I’m sure you’ll make a great mother, but right now let’s just stay focused on school.”

“I know. Mallory and Jessi will hear about the weekend tomorrow at the meeting. I’m sure they’re still jealous of us.”

Mr. Kishi agreed.

“I’m going to my room upstairs and unpack, Dad. See you later.”

“All right. We’re doing Chinese takeout tonight,” Mr. Kishi told her.

“Thanks for letting me know.”

That’s when Claudia headed up the stairs with her duffel bag. She kept her smile on for the rest of the day because the weekend was fun and it wasn’t spoiled. She and Stacey liked George and Louise besides their son Lionel. They didn’t like being around Archie and Meathead when they argued in front of her and her friends.

Claudia finished unpacking. It didn’t take long because she didn’t have much to bring with her. It only took her about five minutes to do that. When her mother came home with the Chinese takeout, Claudia joined her parents downstairs.

“Hi, Claudia. How was your trip?”

“It was a fun time, Mom. Stacey’s mom drove me here.”

“That was nice of her. Tell us about your trip and what you did.”

She got out the plates and the three of them sat down after Claudia poured herself a glass of milk, and then she told her mother and father about what they did on their trip.

When she finished, her mother said, “That indeed was a nice time. It was nice of them to take you out when you arrived.”

“Of course. This one guy who did transportation for us was named Michael. He’s pretty smart too.”

“Somebody has to be smart. Does he have family of his own?” Mr. Kishi asked.

“Just the Bunkers’ daughter, and but that’s about it. They’re pretty friendly people.”

“Sounds like it,” her mother replied.

So they talked about different things after Claudia told about her short weekend visit with the Bunkers.

“Did you unpack yet, Claudia?”

“Yes, Mom. I didn’t bring much since it was just a short visit. I only bought my duffel bag, and that was good enough for me.”

Claudia stayed downstairs with her parents for about another hour or two, watching television together. It isn’t often that she watches television since she’s busy with her schoolwork and baby – sitting.

“I think I’ll head on to bed. See you guys in the morning.”

“Good – night, Claudia, dear. Sleep tight.”

“I’ll try, Mom. At least flying on the airplane made me feel a bit tired.”

“That’s what happens when you travel like that.”

“I know, Dad. Night.”

Then she headed up to her bedroom.


End file.
